Automatic regrinding valve



l. B. GILBERT I AU'IQMATIG REGRINDING VALVE March 23 1926.

Filed Oct. 19, 1922.

Patented Mar. 23, 1926.

UNITED STATES ISRAEL B. GILBERT, F CINCINNATI, OHIO.

AUTOMATIC REG-BINDING VALVE.

Application filed October 19, 1922. Serial No. 595,523.

To-aZZ fr0/wm t may concern:

Be it known that I, ISRAEL B. GILBERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automaticl Regrinding Valves, of which the following is a specification. v

My invention relates to improvements in self-grinding gate valves. One of its objects is to provide an improved gate valve in which the valve disk or valve'disks are adapted to be given a partial turn or'one or more full turns upon their seats under sufcient tension to cause the contact faces or valve seats to wear evenly and to remain true for long periods of time. Another object is to provide improved seligrinding mechanism for gate valves. My invention also comprises certain details of form and combination of components, all of which will be fully set forth in the description of the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1, is a central vertical section through a gate valve illustrating the application of my invention to a gate valve having two valve disks and seats therefor.

Fig. 2, is a` perspective view of a detached gear sleeve employed to rotate the valve disk.

Fig. 3, is a sectional detail of one of the valve disks, taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4, is a view similar to Fig. 1, illusf trating a modification in which only one valve disk and valve seat are employed.

Fig. 5, is a sectional det-ail of the valve disk and its seating apparatus detached, taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 4. v

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred embodiments of my invention in Figs. l, 2, and 3 of which 14 represents a gate valve casing provided with a detachable bonnet 15, and a v'alve stem or spindle 16. The valve casing is designed to be interposed between and connected to pipe sections 17 and 18. As illustrated in Fig. 1, the valve casing is provided with two opposed flat or plane valve seats 19 and 20 to be engaged simultaneously by valve disks 21 and 22. Each of the valve disks 21 and 22 is provided at its periphery with a series of gear teeth 23. The valve disk 21 is rotatably mounted upon a cylindrical stem 24 upon which the valve is held in place by means of one or more screws 25 engaging for instance a shoulder 26 upon the stem 24. The valve disk 22 is rotatably mounted upon a.

ing engagement with the valve disks and v previously to the application of positive and maximum pressure tothe valve disks through the stem 16 and nut 30. The use of member 140 provides for a greater length of self-grinding movement of the valve disks in contact with the valve seats than would otherwise be attainable.

The stems 24 and 27 project thro'ughrecesses 29 in' a nutor trame 30 which is threaded to or otherwise actuated by the valve stem to move said frame 30 into po sition between the valve seats 19 and 20 or into a position in the interior of the bonnet to uncover the ports through the valve casing. Each of the stemsv 24 and 27 is provided with a carriage 31 having an inclined face to engage and travel for a limited distance upon the inclined ways 32 of the nut 30, while the side rails 33 of nut 30 hold the carriages 31 in non-rotatable alignment upon and relative to the nut30. The nut 30 is thereby enabled to act as a wedge when forced downwardly and'to firme" ly press and lock the valve disks 21 and' 22 to theirseats 19 and 20. The seats 19 and v2O may be slightly inclined oneto another or if desired may be in parallel planes. As illustrated in Fig. 1, as the frame 3() and valve disks 21 and 22 are lowered by thel disks lightly engage the stop lugs or stopl rollers 34 which prevent Jfurther descent of the valve disks 21 and 22, thereby enabling 100 ed at one end to the collar v37 and at itsv N0 opposite end is provided with a series of gear teeth 39 which gear teeth are 1n posi.a

tion to mesh with the gear teeth on the respective valve disks 21 and 22 to thereby cause the valve disks 21 and 22 to normally rotate upon and relative to the stems 2a and 27 when the valve stem 16 is rotated. A coiled spring l() is interposed between a shoulder ll on the sleeve 38 and a collar 4t2 threaded to the upper end of the trame 30, which spring serves. to hold the collar 37 and sleeves 38 yieldingly in engagement with the upper end ot trame 80, and at the same time to yieldingly hold the gear teeth ot the sleeve 38 in engagement With the gear teeth of the valve disks 21 and 22 to cause the valve disks to rotate when the valve stem 16 is rotated.

wWhen the valve disks 2l and 22 tirst come in Contact with the valve seats 19 and 2t), the energy ot spring 40 is sufficient to cause said disk valves to make one or more com* plete revolutions vvhile in Contact under eonsiderabl-e strain with the faces et the valve seats 19 and 29 to thereby causo se frinding action between the faces ot said valve disks and theiry valve seatay and to change. the relative positions oit said valve disks' upon their sea-ts at each operation oi' the valve. After the valve disks have seated and made a certain amount oi rotary motion upon and in cont-act `With their respective valve seats, the gradually increased pressure applied by the Wedge `trame 39 to hold the valves upon their seats develops sufficient trictional resistance tothe movement ot said disk valves upon their seats to .cause said valve disks to cease to rotate and to cause the spring Ll() to yield and the gear teeth ot the sleeve to yield and climb the gear teeth ol the disk valves thereby permitting the valve stem 16 to be turned a sutlicient distance further to torce the trame 30 downwardly until the valve disks are each firmly locked to its seat. As soon as the valve stem is turned in reverse `direction excessive pressure upon the valve disks is released and the gear teeth off the sleeve 38 proceed to engage and drive the gear teeth ot the valve disks7 and to rotate the valve disks in the reverse direction one or more revolutions beto-re Contact between said valve disks and their seats is broken, thereby securing a reversed seltgrinding action each time the valve is closed and opened. The gear teeth 23 and may be especially shaped to facilitate eliiribing and slippage.

Inv the moditication Figs. Lil, .and 5 only one valve seat 45 and one disk valve 46 are employed. he valve disk is provided With gear teeth 47 substantially as shown in Fig. 3, and said teeth t7 are engaged by gear teeth 48 carried upon a sleeve 49 substantially as shovvn in Fig. 2, and the sleeve 49 is .attached to a collar 50 splined to the valve stem 51 by means ot a key 151 entering a spline recess 135 substantially as heretotore described. A coiled spring 52 corresaondino to the sorino el@ is emnloed to.

o s i l hold said gear teeth yieldingly in engagement7 and a spring member lll-1 corresponding to the yielding member 140 o1" Figs. l and 3.

A sleeve 53 is employed in place ot the trame S9 ot llig. 1, and is threaded to the valve stem 51. A pair ot arms 5l and 55 are pivotally mounted upon studs tlprojecting from opposite sides of the sleeve 53 through slotted openings in the arms and 55. A colla 1 57 is rotatably mounted upon a stud 157 projecting from the rear tace ot the valve disk, and said Collar 57 is provided .vith studs 58 and 59 by means et Which the arms 54 and 55 are pivotally connected to said collar 57. The opposite ends ot' the arms 54 and 55 are desi 'ned to ride in grooved Ways 60 on the in ide ot the valve casing 61 and bonnet 62a and to engage shelves 63 at the lovver ends or said Ways 60 to thereby act as levers to gradually thrust the valve disk inte engagement With its valve seat dl5 and Vto lock it in that position. 'lhe gear teeth fl-8 ot the sleeve Lt9 serve to engage the gear teeth a7 to rotate the valve relative to its collar one or more revolutions after the valve disk has contacted with its seat Ll5, atter which the spring 52 yields substantially as heretofore described. rl`he valve 46 is thus rotated :lirst in one direction and then in another upon its seat at each operation .ot closing and opening the valve.

rlhe apparatus herein shown and described is capable of considerable modilication Within the scope ot the claims Without departing from the spirit of my invention.

That l claim is:

1. A gate valve comprising a valve easinghaving a valve seat, a valve disk movable to cover and uncover said seat to open and close said valve, a valve stem operable to adjust said valve disk to and from said valve seat, said valve disk being rotatably mounted relative to said valve stem, and means mounted yieldingly relative to said valve stem in driving relation with said valve disk to intermittently cause said vali/e disk to rotate in contact with the tace et said valve moderate n1 seat und r from said valve stem, and to anton L cease to rotate When the pressure troni sa a valve stem approaches its maximum.

2. A gate valve com'y using a valve ing liaving a. valve seat, valve disk to engage said seat to close said valve avalve stem operable to adjust said valve disk to and from said valve seat, said valve disk beine' rotatably mounted relative to saitlvalve stem, rdriving means mounted yieldingly relative to said valve stem to normally rotate said valve disk from said valve stem, and means operable through pressure 'of said valve disk upon said valve seat to enable said valve stem to rotate independently of said valve disk.

3. A gate valve comprising a valve casing having a valve seat, a valv-e disk rotatably mounted and movable transversely to cover and uncover said valve seat, a valve stem operable to adjust said valve disk to and from said valve seat, a driving member carried by said valve stem to interlock with and rotate said valve disk, and means to yieldingly hold said driving member and valve disk normally interlock-ed, said yielding means yielding automatically to release said interlocking connection when the frictional engagement between the valve disk and valve seat approaches a maximum.

4. A gate valve comprising a valve casing having a valve seat, a valve disk to engage said seat to close said valve, a valve stem operable to adjust said valve disk to and from said valve seat, said valve disk being rotatably mounted relative to said valve stem, gear teeth on said valve disk, a gear mounted upon said valve stem and provided with gear teeth to engage the gear teeth upon said valve disk to normally rota-te said valve disk from said valve stem, and clutch means to yieldingly release said valve disk from driving relation with said valve stem when the rictional engagement of said valve disk with its seat approaches a maximum.

5. A gate valve comprising a` valve casing having a valve seat, a valve disk to engage said seat to close said valve, a valve stem operable to adjust said valve disk to'and 'from sai-d valve seat, said valve disk being rotatably mounted relative to said valve stem, a driving member `interposed between said valve disk and said valve stem to normally rotate said valve disk from said valve stem, and automatically actuated mechanism to release said valve disk Jfrom driving relation with said valve stem when the frictional engagement of said valve disk with its seat approaches a maximum, and to automatically reengage said valve disk in driving relation with said valve stem when the i'iictional engagement of said valve disk withsaid valve seat is-decreased.

6. A gate valve comprising a valve casing having opposed valve seats, opposed valve disks movable transversely to cover and uncover said valve seats, a valve stem, a frame located bet-Ween said valve disks and adjustable within said valve casing through operation of said valve stem, means carried by said frame to rotatably and movably support said valve disks, a driving member mounted upon and having splined relation with said valve stem and having interlockspectively to normally rotate said valve disks from said valve stem and means to yieldingly hold said driving member in interlocking relation with said valve disks and adapted to automatically release said driving member from driving relation with said valve disks when the frictional engagement of said valve disks with said valve seat approaches a maximum.

7. A valve comprising a valve casing having a valve seat, a. valve stem, a valve disk rotatably mount-ed relative to said valve stem and adjustable through said valve stem into and out of engagement with said valve seat, and a driving member mounted upon and rotatable with said valve stem and yieldingly held in driving relation with said valve disk to rotate said valve disk in frictional contact with said valve seat when said valve disk is being applied to and removed from said valve seat and to automatically disengage its driving relation with said valve disk when the closing strain on said valve disk approaches a maximum.

8. A valve comprising a valve casing having a valve seat, a valve stem, a valve disk rotatably mounted relative to said valve stem and adjustable through said valve stem Y into and out of engagement with said valve sea-t, means interposed between said valve disk and said valve stem to initially apply said valve disk to said valve seat with a yielding force, and a driving member mounted upon and rotatable with said valve stem and yieldingly held in driving relation with said valve disk to rotate said valve disk in frictional contact with said valve seat, when said valve disk is being applied to and removed from said valve seat, and to automatically disengage its driving relation with said valve disk when the closing strain on said valve disk approaches a maximum.

9. A valve comprising a valve casing having a valve seat, a valve stein, a valve disk rotatably mounted relative to said valve stem and adjustable through said valve stem into and out of engagement with said valve Seat, and a driving member mounted upon and having splined relation with said valve stem and yieldingly heldin driving relation with said valve disk to rotate said valve disk in rictional contact with said valve seat, when said valve disk is being applied to an-d removed from said valve seat, and to automatically disengage its driving relation with said valve disk when the closingv strain on said valve disk approaches a. maximum.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

ISRAEL B, GILBERT.

mg engagement with said valve disks re- 

